Venezuela is one of only eight countries – including, most recently, Bolivia and Ecuador in 2007 – that have convened the historic democratic process to reform their constitutions. The South American nation hopes the exercise will clear the path for a lasting social peace and an end to the foreign-backed chaos that has paralyzed many of the country’s institutions.

Bolivian President Evo Morales expressed his continued support for Venezuela in a pair of tweets early Sunday morning, noting that aggression against Venezuela’s democracy constitutes an aggression on the whole of Latin America adding, “The Constituent Assembly will triumph.” The Bolivian socialist leader also noted, “those who organize and finance violence that attacks Venezuela and burns anti-imperialist Chavistas alive must be tried in the ICC (International Criminal Court).”

Throughout the country, voters have expressed their surprise with the efficiency of the voting.

According to the most recent report from the National Electoral Council of Venezuela, nearly 100 of the polling stations across the country are up and running as hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans line up to cast their ballots for the National Constituent Assembly.

Polling stations opened at 6 a.m. local time, following a bugle wake-up call and fireworks.

Almost 20 million Venezuelans are registered to vote for 545 members of the National Constituent Assembly.

The head of the CNE, Tibisay Lucena, said Friday that the fingerprint-based voting process is automated and guaranteed that the rule of “one elector, one vote” will be in place. The rule prohibits voters from voting more than once.

Lucena said the election process for the National Constituent Assembly is audited by local and international entities, and that her organization will ensure and protect the Venezuelan people’s right to vote, despite recent threats by the opposition to stage violent protests and prevent the election.

Venezuela’s electoral authority has signaled that elections to select the National Constituent Assembly representatives will take place July 30.

Venezuela’s top court rejected Monday an appeal filed by the country’s attorney general, confirming that the National Constituent Assembly called by President Nicolas Maduro to rewrite the Constitution will continue as planned.

“The Electoral Chamber declared inadmissable the legal action exercised by the Attorney General of the Republic for inept accumulation of claims,” Venezuela’s Supreme Court announced on its Twitter account to 81,400 followers.